Automobile license-plate and illuminating means therefor.



L. c. LAURENT.

AUTOMOBILE LICENSE PLATE AND ILLUMINATING MEANS THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3.1'9I5.

1,260,214. Patented Mar. 19, 1918.

Jam 651mm LOUIS o. LAURENT, or DENVER, oononano.

carton.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Man. 19, 191$.

Application filed July 3, 191a. Serial No. 87,985.

' To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS C. LAURENT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Denver, in the county of Denver and State of Colorado, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Automobile License-Plates andIlluminating Means Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in illuminated signs, especiallydesigned for use with automobiles or other vehicles, wherein I not onlyprovide a novel construction of a sign plate carrying the vehi- A clelicense number, but an arrangement of plarts to render the sign readilydistinguisha le.

Specifically stated, the invention aims to provide a sign of thischaracter adapted for association with the mud guard of the vehicle, andessentially consists of a sign plate supported vertically upon saidguard, and an illuminating means for the sign, which latter is disposedbelow the line of vision of the sign, so as not to form an obstruction,and to render the sign 'visible from both sides of the same-.---

Other objects will appear as the nature of the invention is betterunderstood from the following description wherein the construction,combination and arrangement of parts are fully set forth in detail.

In the drawing forming part of this application like numerals ofreference indicate similar parts in the several views and wherein:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of an automobile showing myinvention mounted upon the mud guard.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the sign proper.

Fig. 3 is a view of the sign removed from the frame and the year platedetached.

Referring more particularly to the drawing A indicates a portion of anautomobile or other vehicle and B the rear mud guard, upon whichthe'elements constituting the sign or subject matter of my invention arearranged.

- The sign proper consists of a substantially oblong rectangular plate 5having a substantially U-shaped cut away portion centrally disposed andopening at the upper edgeof the plate, while the body portion of theplate at the opposite sides of the open-' ing is cut away to provide thedesired letters indicative of some one particular state.

The plate 5 below the opening is also cut away to provide the desirednumbers -or figures indicative of the vehicle license. In connectionwith a sign of this character I also employ what may be termed a yearplate 6 the latter containing indici'a indicative of the year, such as1915 as shown. However the year number is not out out of the plate,being preferably painted'or otherwise arranged thereon so as to avoidconfusion between the year number and the license number which wouldoccur should the year number be cut out in the same manner as thelicense number. The plate 6 is adapted to be arranged over the U-shapedopening in the plate 5 having its marginal edges detachably secured tothe plate 5 in any suitable manner to permit the plate 6 to be changedwhen desired. The plate 6 has its space above and below the year numbercolored so as to distinguish it from the preceding year plate. It is ofcourse to be understood that with a sign constructed in accordance withmy invention the owner of the machine is to retain the same licensenumber from .year to year, necessitating only the change of the yearplate,-in view of which fact the year plate is detachably as sociatedwith the license plate 5. Subsequent to the association of the plates 5and 6 respectively, the sign is mounted within a suitable frame, whichas shown in this particular instance-is constructed from metal whichmaybe either nickel-plated or otherwise treated to add to theornamentation of the sign. The frame as shown consists of a bottommember 7, side members 8 and a top member 9, all of which aresubstantially U-shaped in .cross sectional contour, the top member 9.being terminally connected with the side members 8 in any suitablemanner to permit of its ready removal, when it is desired to remove thesign from the frame for the purpose ofchanging the year plate in themanner hereinabove described.

With the fact borne in mind that the sign is primarily intended for usein connection with the mud guard'of the vehicle, which consists of aninclined portion 10, and a curved portion 11 extending into the inclinedportion, I provide the lower member 7 of the frame with an extension '12forming a bracket adapted to be suitably secured to the mud guard Bapproximately at the point of juncture of the inclined portion 10 withthe curved portion 11 thereof, thereby disposing the sign in verticalposition to render the subject matter thereof readily distinguishable. 7

For the purpose of illuminating the sign after dark, I employ a hoodlight consisting of a hood 13 wherein is arranged a suitable light,preferably an electric light 14, the inner surface of the hood beingtreated, whereby the latter serves in the capacity. of a reflector. Thehood is secured in any suitable manner to the inclined portion 10 of themud guard B in advance of the sign and at a point whereby the hood 'iswholly disposed below the line of vision so as not to form anobstruction for the sign thereby rendering the same always visible, asthe latter is arranged in the area of the illuminating rays of light, aswell as protecting the sign from mud. By reason of this specificdisposition of parts it will be further noted that the sign may beobserved from either end of the machine, although if read from the frontof the car it would read backward.

It is believed that from the foregoing description the nature andadvantages of the invention will be thoroughly understood 7 withoutrequiring a more extended explanation and therefore the same has beenomitted.

What is claimed is:-

In combination with the rear fender of a motor vehicle, a plate securedupon the fender and having its material cut away to form openings of theform of numerals indicative of the license number of the vehicle, andilluminating means disposed upon the fender forwardly of the plate andbelow the level thereof'to be in a non-obstructive position, saidilluminating means projecting light upon the confronting face of saidplate and through said openings whereby the numerals may be visible fromthe front and rear of the vehicle.

Intestimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS C. LAURENT.

